this was only time i’d ever see this place empty
Winterclash is the biggest annual rollerblading contest in the World, and I was really looking forward to this trip. The plan was to fly into Munich and meet up with a fellow Be-Mag photographer, Philip Forstner, and then drive up to Mullhausen for the event. I was a little broke, but took $20 and a box of Kendama’s and figured if I sold them all I’d have enough cash to make it through the trip.
We were a few days early so that we could prep and build the Be-Mag booth for the trade show which happens alongside the Winterclash. Philip drew up the designs, and we shopped around at the German version of Home Depot, and got to work. It took a full day to get everything up, and the base paint on, and then our friend Tim from Berlin came in to do all the artwork. It was the most work we’ve put into any of our past booths, and the final product really showed I think.
Getting the booth walls ready. photo:forstner
Philip Forstner at work
Tim starting to Paint. photo:forsner
The Finished Product
This was the booth of the Italian guys who made a really amazing
book / DVD called “Gli Anni Sprecati” or “The Wasted Years”. photo:forstner
The contest is always a really intense day, since we were busy with the booth, shooting photos of the contest, live updating everything on the web, and all with very little sleep. There are over a thousand people in the building, and lots of them I’ve met at one time or another at contests, or during travels to different cities. It’s has a festival atmosphere mixed with a reunion feel, topped off with the best skaters in the world all under one roof. Not something that happens everyday.
access granted
Sun Rays
This is Leon Humphries, a good friend from London. We’ve toured in the US before, and he’s usually our tour guide when I find myself across the pond. He’s also the best story teller i’ve ever met.
Mike Johnson with a crowd pleaser
This is what the park looks like during the contest.
This is Erik Bailey moments after the finals. He ended up winning not only the Winterclash, but the “winterstache” competition as well.
Here is a low quality video of Erik in the finals i found on youtube
